* This is a sponsored post for Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation *
These light and fresh salmon tacos are ready in just 15 minutes. A smokey and slightly spicy rubbed grilled salmon on top of crunchy lettuce in a soft tortilla, all topped with a delicious avocado cream. Serve with crunchy tortilla chip and dips for a Mexican feast.
You can never have too many taco recipes in your life, and this one is one of our favourites. A great way to use salmon and a really light and fresh taco that is perfect for summer. Easy to adapt with different salads, vegetables and toppings, it's a real crowd-pleaser.
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Why you will love it
- Ready in 15 minutes
- A new way to enjoy salmon
- Easy to adapt
- A light summer meal
- Great for feeding a crowd
Ingredients needed
- Salmon - we used wonderful Scottish Salmon for these tacos and it doesn't matter if they have skin on our not. The salmon will be topped with our homemade spice rub, and there is more on that below.
- Soft Tacos - for us there is really no choice when it comes to the tortilla. It has to be a soft one. However, if you prefer crunchy tacos then you can use a crispy taco shell instead.
- Salad - these tacos are bulked out with a lettuce, cabbage and carrot mix (one of those ones you buy in a bag at the supermarket). However, you can use any salad mix you like. One that has spinach in it would be a nice way to give it a green boost. Or you could just use a creamy slaw, there are lots of options here.
- Cheese - creamy feta is a great addition to these tacos and adds a nice saltiness to them too. However, if you want to keep it more traditional then you could add queso fresco/cotija cheese. Although not at all traditional, you could add some grated cheddar if that is all our had, or keep it cheese free.
- Avocado Cream - these tacos are finished off with a deliciously simple avocado cream, that makes a nice change from guacamole. We just blended an avocado with some yogurt and lime juice and drizzled it on top before serving. You could use guacamole instead though.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Mix together the paprika, cumin, chilli powder and salt and pepper and rub over the salmon. Put the salmon under the grill (broiler) for 12 minutes, until cooked through.
Two: Make the avocado cream by adding to a food processor the avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice and water and blending until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, then you can mash it all together in a bowl, but you won't get as smooth a sauce.
Three: Once the salmon is cooked, use a fork to flake it.
Four: Build your tacos by adding salad to the soft tacos, top with the salmon, tomatoes and feta and then spoon over the avocado cream.
Health benefits of salmon
- It is one of the best sources of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. Children who regularly consume foods rich in Omega-3 have been shown in studies to have increased concentration levels and improved learning abilities.
- Salmon is an excellent source of high quality protein - a 100g (3.5oz) portion contains 25g of protein.
- Contains high amounts of B vitamins. These are good for repairing DNA and reducing the causes that can lead to heart disease. B vitamins also help maintain optimal brain and nervous system functioning.
- Scientists are investigating the role fish consumption may have in protecting people from some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, asthma, diabetes, macular degeneration, high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis.
- Contains antioxidants.
Why Scottish Salmon?
Salmon is a hugely versatile fish and as discussed above, has many health benefits for all ages as part of their diet. The fantastic salmon we used in this recipe had been provided by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and it was a wonderful piece of fish. There are many reason why to choose Scottish Salmon for your next salmon recipe:
- Scottish salmon is the world’s favourite UK-produced food, with 75,000 tonnes sent abroad in 2018.
- All Scottish salmon is farmed in adherence to the Code of Good Practice - which sets out 500 points of compliance for seawater fish farming, focusing on the health and welfare of the livestock.
- Scottish salmon have a lower carbon footprint than other animals farmed for protein production, including beef, lamb, pork and chicken.
- It tastes amazing!
Taco Seasoning
Most of the flavour in this dish comes from the salmon seasoning. The great thing about it, is that is is so adaptable. You could use less chilli powder, or leave it out completely, if you are making these for kids.
You a smokey and spicy paprika/chilli powder mix isn't your thing, then you could use a cajun seasoning on this, or even curry powder for a twist.
What to serve these with
These make quite a nice light lunch, but if you wanted a more filling meal (or if you are serving them up to a few people), there a some delicious extras that you could serve these tacos with.
Start with some homemade tortilla chips and salsa, and then a bowl of refried beans or some grilled corn would go well. Extra avocado cream on the side wouldn't hurt too - it makes a tasty dip.
Give these tacos an even fresher feel by serving them with our Easy Pineapple Salsa.
FAQs
When they only take 15 minutes to make, there's really no need to make them ahead of time. Freshly cooked salmon is always better than reheated anyway. You could make the avocado cream earlier in the day and keep it in the fridge for when you are ready to make these tacos.
We never usually have an issue with leftover tacos, as we eat them within minutes of them hitting the table. However, if you do any any leftover then you can wrap them up in foil and keep them in the fridge for 24 hours. They are great for work/school lunches, or even packing for a picnic.
Absolutely, just swap the flour tacos for corn tacos and you have a gluten free taco! Or to save some calories as well as making them gluten free, use a large lettuce leaf and wrap all the filling up in that.
More salmon recipes
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Salmon Tacos with Avocado Cream
Ingredients
- 4 Salmon fillets
- 0.5 tablespoon paprika
- 0.5 tablespoon Chipotle powder (or any chilli powder)
- 0.5 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 8 soft tacos
- 200 g Crunchy lettuce/cabbage mix - shredded
- 1 Avocado
- 4 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt
- 1 Lime - (juice only)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) - cilantro
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 2 Tomatoes - diced
- 50 g Feta - crumbled
Instructions
- Mix together the paprika, cumin, chilli powder and salt and pepper and rub over the salmon. Put the salmon under the grill (broiler) for 12 minutes, until cooked through.
- Make the avocado cream by adding to a food processor the avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice and water and blending until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, then you can mash it all together in a bowl, but you won't get as smooth a sauce.
- Once the salmon is cooked, use a fork to flake it.
- Build your tacos by adding lettuce mix to the soft tacos, top with the salmon, tomatoes and feta and then spoon over the avocado cream.
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, then you can mash the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, but you won't get as smooth a sauce.
- If you are making these for younger children, then use less chilli powder (or leave it out) and leave out the salt.
- Add some extra crunch by topping the tacos with slices of radish.
- We used crumbled feta on top of these tacos, but you can use queso fresco to keep it more traditional if you can find it.
- If salmon isn't your thing, then you could swap it for cod, or even some king prawns.
- Use a lettuce leaf instead of a taco to save some calories.
Denay DeGuzman
These salmon tacos are healthy, delicious and easy to assemble. This is a must-make recipe!